PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Allen Iverson continued his erratic
shooting and the Philadelphia 76ers continued to win.

Iverson was 6-of-20 from the field en route to 19 points and
added just one assist but the Sixers improved to 3-0 for the
first time in 14 years with a 90-86 victory over the previously
unbeaten Detroit Pistons.

Philadelphia coach Larry Brown credits Iverson's all-around play
for the team's great start.

"Allen has been playing defense as well as he has since I've
been here," Brown said. "When he penetrates, he commands such
attention, it allows us to get offensive boards. He's playing
his man well and making good reads. His presence commands
double-teams and makes everyone else better. He doesn't need to
score 30 points for us to win."

Iverson is shooting 27 percent (15-of-55) for the season, but
surprising Philadelphia keeps winning. The last time the Sixers
started a season this well was 1984-85, when they won their
first five games.

"I'm not frustrated at all," Iverson said. "I have another game
coming up, as long as there is tomorrow, everything is all right
with me. I can play 10 more bad games in a row as long as we
win. I'm fine. I'm happy."

Grant Hill scored 32 points for the Pistons, who had 13 shots
blocked. Detroit surrendered a 13-5 run in the fourth quarter
that turned a three-point lead into an 87-82 deficit with 1:22
remaining.

"Our only offense is a good defense," Brown said. "And yet we're
winning because we have good defense and make the hustle plays."

Detroit tired near the end, as it was playing for the third time
in as many days. The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are the other
teams to play three straight days thus far -- and all have lost
their final game.

Jerome Williams nailed a pair of free throws with 6:14 left to
push Detroit's lead to three points before Philadelphia embarked
on the decisive run.

George Lynch, who guarded Hill, started the run with a layup and
Harvey Grant scored inside with 5:10 left on a pass from Theo
Ratliff to give the Sixers the lead. Hill and Grant traded free
throws and Hill hit two more from the line to give Detroit its
final lead, 80-79.

Philadelphia had to work hard to get the lead for good. Rookie
Larry Hughes, who had his best effort with 16 points, missed a
technical free throw after an illegal defense and Iverson had a
shot blocked by Bison Dele before Ratliff converted a four-foot
hook from the right side for the go-ahead points with 3:34 left.

Eric Snow made a pair of free throws and Hughes made a put-back
layup after a miss by Iverson to extend the lead to 85-80 with
2:31 remaining.

Former Sixer Jerry Stackhouse hit a pair of free throws, but
Snow found Grant in the left corner for an 18-foot jumper with
82 seconds left.

Dele had a tip-in to get Detroit within 87-84 with 55 seconds
remaining but there was no more scoring until Iverson hit a pair
of free throws to ice the game with six seconds left.

"Right now it's a mental thing, it's not physical at all,"
Iverson said. "I'm resorting back to my high school ways where
I used to miss shots and get frustrated. These last three games
have been tough offensively for me. If I can't get my offense
together, I try to pick up my defense a little more. We have
other people that can put the ball in the hole."

Matt Geiger registered 16 points, eight rebounds and three
blocks, while Ratliff had 10, nine and five for Philadelphia.
The frontcourt duo made just 9-of-27 shots as the Sixers shot 40
percent (33-of-82) for the game.

"The last couple of games, we're playing scrappy and doing what
it takes to win," Geiger said. "Our characteristic is to play
real aggressive defense."

Detroit was not much better, shooting 43 percent (32-of-74)
despite Hill's 11-of-18 effort. Lindsey Hunter and Stackhouse,
who had 15 points off the bench, were a combined 10-of-28. Dele
added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

"We were right there at the end," Hill said. "They grabbed the
momentum. They got a lot of points off turnovers and a lot of
offensive rebounds (20)."

Hill was happy to be playing, even though it was for the third
straight day.

"If we didn't play, we would have practiced two hours," Hill
said. "I'd rather play over practicing any day."

"I don't think that was a factor," Pistons coach Alvin Gentry
said of the compressed schedule. "I'd like to say that it was.
We're in great shape. We just didn't make the plays. I thought
we had enough energy that if we'd made the plays and not gotten
outhustled, we would have had a chance to win."

Stackhouse lacks respect for his former team.

"The disappointing thing is that of the four teams we've played,
the three teams we beat were better than the one team we lost
to," he said.

The Pistons raced to a 28-18 lead after one quarter but were
down 46-44 by the half. The Sixers pushed the lead to 67-61
after three before the tight final quarter.